


Side Servings

by Zephoria



Series: Dodging the Heat [4]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2020-01-07 13:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18411899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zephoria/pseuds/Zephoria
Summary: One shots, flash forwards, snippets of the past, scrapped scenes, and everything else in between all set in my Dodging the Heat AU.Tags will be added as I go.





	1. Year 2 - Scrapped - Quiz Me

**Author's Note:**

> Right, so this was meant to place after Mexico / Brazil in year 2. As much as I loved and thought it was fun, it didn't go with the feel of those chapters and I thought I better take it out. And I would save it for future years, it's just unlikely I can make it fit. So it's been well and truly scrapped. But, now you can all enjoy it!

“So you and Laura are back at each other’s throat? Is the honeymoon over?”

Sebastian who had been angrily staring at his drink raises his head to look at Jenson.

“Murder seems like a strong word…” Jenson leans casually on the bar. Sebastian winces, because he didn’t need to rehash the race or Aston’s view of him nearly slamming her into a wall.

“She’s fucking sore because I beat her and I don’t much care to talk to you,” Sebastian snipes finishing off his drink. Maybe he’ll go to bed but Jenson is getting on a chair next to him and sitting down, ordering two shots for them.

“Come on,” Jenson encourages, “Let’s see if you have learnt anything from Kimi.”

Sebastian glances between the drink and Jenson before he decides to fuck it and grabs the glass and downs it slamming it on the bar. “I still don’t like you.”

“That’s because you’re a jealous fucker,” Jenson shrugs like it was common knowledge. “Cheer up Seb, you’re not the only that she’s ripped out the heart of.”

Sebastian sucks in his breath. “She has not ripped out my heart,” he denies angrily. He ripped out hers and he snatches up the new shot. “And whatever, when I win the fucking championship well see whose fucking crying then.” He grimaces as he swallows the shot and slams it on the bar.

Jenson swings on his stool grinning at him. “Yeah, and this is why you two were never gonna work.”

“Excuse me?” Sebastian looked offended. “How is anything different in regards to me and Aston and you and Aston? We are all fighting for the same thing! If you were in a better car, I bet you and Aston wouldn’t have been so fucking peachy!”

Jenson cocks his head. “Come on Seb,” he takes at him and it’s fucking infuriating. “Laura and I never took each other out of a race.  _ Twice _ . And you forget that I once had a better car.”

Leaning forward Sebastian responds bitterly, “You are not better for her. Stop implying you are better for her.”

“I was always the better choice,” Jenson frowns like it was obvious. “But you know, the nice guy doesn’t win.” He laughs hollowly.

“I’m the nice guy! And if you were the better choice she’d still be with you!”

Jenson raises an eyebrow at that. “Touché my dear Sebastian.” He orders them more drinks. “Come on, between the two of us, we both know I was the better and more sensible choice. Our relationship was built on years of friendship.”

Sebastian snorts. “Don’t think that Aston and I were any less open and honest with each other.” They were very honest with how they felt about each. Up until the end, when things were no longer about hate and dislike. “Friendship is fucking overrated.”

“Because hate was a solid foundation for a relationship?” Jenson challenges.

Sebastian had finished the next shot. “You want to see who knows her better?”

“Really? You think your blink of an eye relationship is superior to years of friendship?  _ Years  _ Sebastian.”

“Yes,” Sebastian is on his feet. “Let’s have a little competition to see who's right.”

Jenson is grinning. “This should be fun. But we’re going to need someone else…”

It’s how they end up around a table, Lewis looking excited when Jenson had dragged him to join them. Whatever, he had to rope in fucking Kimi. “Put on her the phone,” Sebastian demands his teammate.

Kimi was staring at him like this was a terrible idea. “This is not a good idea.”

“I don’t care. Call Lillian and have her text you questions.”

Kimi rolls his eyes and calls her as he shrugs. “Suppose this could be fun. For me. But she’s not going to let you win.”

It takes about twenty minutes for Lillian to send through questions and in that time, Lewis has declared him the host of their spontaneous quiz game. Daniel’s off to the side fielding bets and their was a much too big crowd for something that should be getting kept under wraps.

Nico Hulkenberg is handing money to Daniel, “Why are they arguing about who knows Laura better?”

Daniel grins and pockets the money. “Because alcohol makes you do stupid thing.”

“Seb does know that Jenson and Laura were like an item for years right?” Nico looks confused only to be pushed aside when Charles and Peirre appear putting money on Sebastian. “Why would you bet against Jenson?”

“She’s his biggest enemy,” Peirre explains simply.

“And you keep your enemies close,” Charles adds.

“Idiots,” Nico mutters walking off.

“Seb, mate,” Mark I dragging Sebastian to the side. “This is a terrible idea.”

Sebastian shakes his elbow free. “It’s a great idea. Jenson thinks he knows more. Fuck that. I know more!”

Mark looks at him likes he was crazy. “For something that I’m sure you want both want to be kept on the down-low, you’re going to have people ask a lot of damn questions if you can answer all the fucking questions.”

“Don’t,” Sebastian snaps at him. “I know what I’m doing. And you know shit!” What did Mark know? Nothing. He couldn’t know anything!

Mark rolls his eyes and waves him to the front where Lewis was beckoning him over, clearly ready to start. “Go right ahead, this is going to work out great for everyone.”

He stalks over and drops into the seat opposite Jenson as Lewis clears his throat. “Welcome everyone! Tonight we find out who knows more about our beloved Laura Aston.” He waves at Jenson, “The best friend, the rumoured ex, the one driver Laura has spent more time with than any other.” Sebastian is rolling his eyes at the loud applause Jenson gets. Who wants to be Mr Popular anyway.

“Our other challenger is undoubtedly Aston’s arch nemesis in life. Her ex-teammate. The one person she describes as, and I quote, ‘the one person that I wish would vanish from the face of the earth, preferably in the most painful way possible.’”

Sebastian winces as there’s a snort from behind him and someone saying, “That might be the nicest thing she said about him.”

“So the question is – who knows you better? You’re enemy of your best friend. Tonight’s questions are all brought to you by the only reliable source – Lillian Aston. So there will be no debating the answers, all answers are final.” Lewis sounds like he was taking this all very seriously as whips out game-show like question cards – did he really make those?. Sebastian purses his lips, he just wants to start the damn questions.

“We start easy, and then we’ll get more personal,” Lewis says. “Gentlemen first in gets the point, you each have your buzzers. Please test.” Both had phones in front of them with some app that if you slammed your hand down it would buzz very loudly. Both of them confirm they are working. Daniel’s off to the side with a marker ready to tally the results.

“Let’s start. First category, Laura’s F1 history. First f1 race where Aston scored her points.”

Jenson’s faster than him. “China. First year with Sauber.” Sebastian only huffs when Daniel gives him a point.

“Name Aston’s first F1 penalty.”

How was he meant to know that? Jenson though slams the buzzer. “Impeding in qualifying. Brazil in her first year. She bitched extensively about it.”

“Since it was me she impeded that is correct,” Mark calls from the back.

“Shut up Mark!” Sebastian waves Lewis to continue.

“Name the two things Aston thinks make a successful weekend.”

Sebastian slams the buzzer. “Her winning. Me losing.”

“Correct!”

“Final standing in the drivers' championship in her rookie year?”

Again he wins. “Wait, wait…” though he has his fingers in the air as he silently counts.

“Come on you have to know the answer!” Jenson complains he looks at Lewis in protest.

“Ninth!” Sebastian shout.

“Correct and we’re tied. Let’s move on to Laura’s firsts.” There are far too many snickers at that.

“First F1 driver that Laura had a grudge against.”

“Fernando!”

“He didn’t hit the buzzer,” Sebastian protests as he slams the buzzer to prove a point. “Fernando.”

“Jense, there’s a buzzer,” Lewis shake his head. “But bonus point if you know why?”

Jenson slams the buzzer very hard. “Because he slept with her sister!”

“Correct!”

“First F1 driver Aston had a crush on.”

Jenson. “Mark Webber!”

“Seriously?” Sebastian looks at Mark who at least had the decency to look embarrassed. “Why?”

“First kiss ever?”

Sebastian slams the buzzer. “Ben.” It was a stab in the dark but he grins when Lewis shouts ‘Correct’.

“How do you even know that?” Daniel asks giving him a tally and Sebastian waves at him to shush.

“First thing Laura said when she got her Red Bull drive to Christian?”

Jenson. “I’m not going to be a number two driver.”

“I knew that!” Sebastian glares at his phone wondering if it was working. “Everyone knows that!”

“Okay, let’s get personal,” Lewis whips to the next card. “Name Aston’s greatest fear.”

“Spiders!” Ha, yes, he got another point as Jenson rolls his eyes at him.

“But really her greatest fear is –“

“Not winning!” Jenson shouts.

“Aston’s choice of drink?”

Jenson beats him again. “Vodka and cranberry juice with soda water.”

“Aston’s most despised drink.”

“Tequila,” Sebastian knows that.

“What’s Astons favourite subject at school.”

Jenson gets in first. “Trick question. She hated all subjects.”

“Correct,” Lewis grins. “How many speeding finds has Laura received?”

“None,” Jenson grins and shoots Lewis a look which receives a muttered response of, “Luckily.”

“Name both of Aston’s parents.”

Sebastian gets in. “Mr and Mrs Aston.”

Jenson points at him. “That doesn’t count. It’s Henri and uh…” He clicks his fingers.

“You don’t know either,” Sebastian accuses.

“Fine. We never spoke about her mother,” Jenson huffs.

“Let’s keep going,” Lewis says flicking to the next card. “Colour of Laura’s bikini from her photoshoot last year?”

“Black,” Sebastian gets in.

“Name the magazine she posed in?” There’s nothing but silence from all the guys. Yeah, no one bought that magazine for the article.

“Right, that was a dumb question,” Lewis goes to the next. “What does her tattoo say?”

“Race hard die young,” Sebastian smirks at Jenson.

“What does it mean?”

Sebastian gets in again. “All or nothing.” At least Jenson was looking incensed.

“Aston’s breakfast food of choice.”

“Bacon. Just bacon.” He was catching up.

Lewis stops, blinking at the question. “Uh… how did Laura hurt her knee last year?”

Sebastian hits the buzzer. “She fell.” That causes an array of snorts and looks of disbelief. He holds up his hands, “No matter what anyone says, I didn’t do it!”

Jenson leans across the table. “Seriously? You don’t know?”

“Why would I know? She said she fell, it wasn’t from our clash,” he denies furiously, but Jenson is just staring at him with wide eyes. “What?”

Jenson sits back and grins. “That’s it I win.”

“Woah! We all need to know the answer!” Nico is shouting. “We all have money on this.”

“Plus this could solve the greatest mystery of last year,” Daniel agrees.

“Come on, say the answer and take the point so we can go to the next question,” Sebastian orders Jenson.

But Jenson is getting to his feet. “I think we’ve all had enough fun for tonight.”

There are far too many disappointed groans and Sebastian frowns at Jenson as he gets to his feet and following him. “Hey,” he grabs his arm. “Is that bad of a secret?” He wants an answer.

“Seb,” Jenson shakes his head, “It’s your secret, not mine. So thank for me not shouting it out.”

Jenson moves away from him before declaring himself the winner and he blinks. His secret?  _ His  _ secret? In Spain last year the only thing that was secret was his post-race hook up with Aston and he stops. Eyes wide as he grips the back of the chair he had sat in. No fucking way.

Mark whacks him over the back of the head. “You’re an idiot.”

He blinks as Mark walks out and his heart only sinks. Yeah, he was.

*


	2. Year 8(ish) - Flash Forward - The Best Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian, Laura and family open presents at Christmas and the important question is - who got the best gift for the other?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was requested for more or something to continue to get through the wait for year 3. And I don't have a lot of pre-written stuff (currently) but I do have this which I wrote at Christmas. As it's set in the future there is, of course, some minor spoilers but nothing too big!
> 
> Also as a side point, to those people that think I can't do happy - and you know who you are - this is me poking out my tongue big time! I CAN DO HAPPY! Please take this flash forward to show that Seb and Laura do get there!

“Daddy.”

Sebastian groans as small fingers push into his nose.

“Daddy!” The whispering from near the bed gets louder and more desperate.

He drags his eyes open to see Lilly standing next to his side of the bed, large blue eyes wide with excitement. He looks at the time and sees it’s way too early for this, even if it was Christmas. He drops one hand down the side of the bed, grasping at his daughter tightly and hurling her up, there was a loud squeal of protest as he throws her between himself and Laura.

Lilly lies there pouting as Sebastian cuddles her. “You don’t want presents,” he tells her pinning her down as she struggles. “Santa said you were naughty.” That only has her tears grow.

“Crying out loud Sebastian! Some people want to sleep.” Laura’s voice snaps at him before her head disappears under a pillow.

“Because I didn’t want sleep?” he responds reaching over and ripping away the pillow so she can’t hide away.

“I want my presents,” Lilly sobs as Laura shifts to cuddle her as well.

“No presents before seven am,” Laura tells her. “Santa is making a late delivery.”

“Let’s make it eight,” Sebastian says as he and Laura squish at Lilly who only bucks under their arms before she opens her mouth and screams. Loudly.

He relents and sits up. “Okay! I’m up!” Sebastian declares.

“No.” That sob is from Laura.

“Mummy,” Lilly pushing back the blankets. “Santa!” Her tears are gone and she’s excitedly crawling over her.

Sebastian grabs her from the bed. “Leave mummy she doesn’t want her gifts.”

Laura’s eyes snap back open. “You got me a gift?” she asks as Lilly struggles in Sebastian’s grip. “We said no gifts.”

“Yeah and I’m not stupid. There’s a gift. Get up.” He should buy presents for Laura more often, because she’s scrambling from the bed declaring it’s present time very enthusiastically.

Thirty minutes later and they’re all surrounded in a lot of Christmas paper, Lilly looking like she was high on toys, bounding between them all excitedly. Her favourite seems to be battery controlled children’s car she can literally drive. It’s a pink Barbie car which she was driving with her new doll.  If he had his way, he would have got her a Go Cart but no, Laura put her foot down.

“Okay, it’s my turn,” she looks eagerly at Sebastian. “Where’s mine?”

Sebastian grins and gets up. He hadn’t been so stupid to put her gift under the tree, there was no way Laura wouldn’t have opened it. He disappears, leaving Laura to wait impatiently for him to retrieve it from his hiding spot. He sits back down beside her holding out a small neatly red wrapped box with a silver bow.

She goes to snatch it from him but he pulls his hand back. “This is half your gift. We’ll need to pick it up next week.”

“Okay,” she flexes her fingers in a furious ‘gimme motion’.

He leans forward and kisses her pout gently. “You know I love you right?”

“Seb no time for love declarations, it’s gift time.”

He relents and lets her have it, and like Lilly, she rips off the wrapping and holds a little box which she immediately tears the lid off and snatching up a pair of keys. And not just any keys, there’s a prancing horse hanging off them. Her head snaps up to see Sebastian grinning at her, “Are you serious?”

His wife looked like she might pass out from excitement. “You’re not under contract, and I know you wanted one…”

“Which one did you get?” She crawls into his lap, hands wrapped around his neck as she showers his face in kisses. “I don’t care, I love it. I love it. I love you!”

He laughs and hugs her tightly. “I love you too.” And then to his horror, she bursts into tears and pushes her face into her neck. “Wow, you’ve never cried happy tears before. I think I did good.” She punches his back.

“My gift for you is still better,” she sobs against him.

He raises an eyebrow and rubs her back. “Of course it has to be a competition.”

She pulls back wiping her face roughly. “Of course and I win.”

“Better than a Ferrari?”

“Well…” she looks at the keys in her hand. “I mean I wouldn’t want me to choose…”

She crawls under the tree to grab the last box there. Seb frowns because he wasn’t sure it was there a few days ago when he had stacked up Lilly’s gifts, and there’s no name on it as he takes it hesitantly. Laura reseats herself in his lap.

“So this was a late gift,” she tells him kissing his cheek as she curls an arm around his neck as he fights to get through her pounds of sticky tape. She kisses his ear and whispers, “I love you too right, and I try and give you what you want…”

Sebastian was staring into the box and his heart beats harder. It’s white and plastic and he stares at his wife. “Lau are you serious? Please don’t joke about this.”

She kisses him very softly. “Merry Christmas.”

And Sebastian feels tears threaten to spill as Laura hugs him tightly. He yanks out the gift holding it up to stare at the positive mark. Who knew a cross could bring so much joy. “You’re pregnant?” He hugs her tightly, “You’re really pregnant?”

“Well I didn’t go to the doctor yet,” she tells him and he tries desperately to suppress his excitement. “But I took like fifteen tests, they were all positive.”

“Oh my god,” he hugs her furiously as she giggles.

“See I told you I win. You’re crying, mine are just hormone tears.”

“Doubtful,” he mutters but he pulls back to kiss her, and kiss her again and again. “Okay you win,” he tells between kisses and then he lifts her to her knees to rain kisses on her stomach. “Oh god, we’re having a baby!”

*


	3. Year 8(ish) - Flash Forward - Egg Hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's celebrate Easter! Laura reminisces about easter egg hunting while she and Seb prepare one for Lilly and Ella.

 

_ Laura let her dad hold her hand, bouncing with excitement. “Now listen cupcake,” he tells her seriously as he kneels in front of her and fixes her rabbit ears she had made at school. “This is the last year we can do this…” _

_ Laura nods clutching her basket tightly, apparently next year she would be too old to do the local community easter egg hunt in the park. Lillian was sulking she couldn’t do it this year, but they had stayed up all night discussing strategy on how to get the most chocolate. It was going to be hard work to beat last year’s haul without Lillian. _

_ “Hey,” her dad holds her arms tightly, “I really need to not get a lecture this year from organisers. No biting, no pushing -” She pouts. “Bunnies are kind and friendly.” He touches her lip jutting out, “And they don’t pout.” _

_ “But I want all the chocolate.” She needed it all if she had to share it with Lillian. _

_ Her father stands up muttering about having competitive children as he walks her to the start line with the other kids. She waves at Lillian in the distance who was standing with Miles and their mum. _

 

Sebastian stares at her with raised eyebrows as he pushes himself into the bushes putting easter eggs down. “How many eggs did you get?”

“Oh I beat my haul from the previous year,” Laura tells him as she rehashes the past while keeping her distance, it was dark and wet and she wasn’t going anywhere where there were spiders. “Turns out it was better to have someone on the sidelines.”

Sebastian snorts.

“Lillian did a pre-scout quickly, found the largest stashes,” Laura continues unwrapping an egg for herself.

“They’re for Lilly,” he says popping back in front of her. “And isn’t that cheating?”

“No, I think of it like doing a track walk in hindsight,” she defends with her mouthful and following him as he looks for another spot to put more eggs. “Plus, that wasn’t the best strategy, Lillian would shout at the kids and send them to the wrong places, and they lost  _ crucial _ time while I swooped in.”

“Yeah well, I’m pleased it’s just Lilly and Ella tomorrow,” Sebastian grabbing more eggs from her bowl. “And I’m thinking you stay inside.”

“I’m not one of those competitive parents!” She was offended as Sebastian kneels down to make a little nest in the dirt for the eggs. “And Lilly doesn’t need my help,” Because she had already gave her a rundown at bathtime on how to do this. She was three, she needed to know how to do better than last year, because last year she was dismal and spent just as much time putting leaves in her basket.

Laura unwraps another egg for herself. “What did you do as a kid?”

“I didn’t wear easter bunny ears,” Sebastian grins before he’s glaring at the fast diminishing supply of eggs. “Fuck Laura, don’t eat them all!”

She pouts when the bowl is taken from her. “I’m going to text your mum about the ears. She probably has a picture.”

“That’s not fair, I don’t get a picture of you in bunny ears!”

“And I’m so sad about that,” she tells him sarcastically. “Can we be done now?” Sebastian was spending far too much time on finding the perfect hiding places. She was bored and he had taken away her chocolate supply. “You know what we could do?”

Sebastian was now on his stomach and trying to push eggs into openings in the roots of a tree, face one of concentration. As if the girls are going to care. 

“We could do activities that bunnies would do…” She grins because he jumps to his feet rather quickly.

“What kind of activities,” he doesn’t seem quite like he trusted her though.

“Well not the one that we make tons of bunnies,” she tells him, she was barely coping with having to share chocolate with one child. “But you know we can go at it like bunnies.”

Sebastian lifts the bowl up, throwing the remaining portion of the eggs over his shoulder so they scatter on the grass. “We can definitely do that. I’m keen for that.” He reaches for her and pulls her against him. “You want to play outside my bunny,” he murmurs. “And I don’t mind when you bite me.”

She giggles and bites his throat playfully as he drops the bowl. “Can we go inside though? I don’t want to do it when I can’t see where the spiders are.” Seb though was concentrating on the buttons on her shirt, apparently unafraid of what lurks in the dark. “Seb -”

“Shhh,” he whispers spinning her by the hips and pushing her against a tree. “I want you right here.”  And her protests are cut off when he kisses her, all heat and tongue and her head goes fuzzy so quickly. 

She can’t quite remember what she was trying to say as she shifts her thigh against the front of Sebastian’s jeans to tease him. He pushes back against her, cursing in German before her foot comes down and both freeze at the sound of cracking.

Sebastian pulls away, “Did you just -”

“It was your fault,” she tells him as she pulls her foot out of the remnant pile of eggs.

“But that was my nest,” he squints down in the dark and he sounds quite upset.

“I think we should be mourning the loss of chocolate,” she says instead. “We should go inside.”

“We should get more eggs,” Sebastian says at the same time.

“Fuck the eggs, I want you to fuck me.”

“Fine, I’ll fix it after,” Sebastian pushes back against her and he kisses her again.

 

And the next morning, watching Sebastian and Miles kneel between the girls and even up their basket of eggs, Laura isn’t even upset. Because Lilly had more than double Ella’s eggs - her niece making the critical error to stop eat as she goes. Laura had never been more impressed of her daughter who beams at her proudly, flashing her the toothiest smile when she’s given a thumbs up. Before Lilly holds up her own little thumb in return. 

Yep, the map they had studied all morning under the covers while Seb made them breakfast had been worth it.


	4. Prequel - He Wasn't Interested

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first time Sebastian meets Laura in F1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure anyone actually enjoys these? But as I'm fumbling through year 3 I do get distracted and write random stuff. I seem to be accumulating a lot of random stuff *frowns* I should be writing more year 3.

 

Pre-Season Testing (2011?)

 

There’s this fear that Sebastian has that _everyone_ knows. If he could, if the option was available, maybe he would still be at home, hiding away with what little of his personal life existed. But there are no questions, no media or photographers shoving cameras into his faces and ripping into the privacy he valued more than anything. Thank god.

Maybe it would have been different if he had sent more wedding invites to people inside of Formula 1, but he had only sent it to those closest, he supposes were somewhat friends. Turns out that was a good thing, there would be very few people that would know that there had been no wedding.

Or maybe it was because the press had more interesting things to deal with rather than his broken heart. And he was forever grateful for their distraction. Laura Aston was making her debut in Formula One and the press was going crazy. Women in racing wasn’t new, but it had been a long time since any woman had made it to the very stop. And Sebastian had no intentions of stealing her spotlight.

He’d never met her in person, wasn’t sure he’d be able to put a face to her name though he’d seen her driving and very much heard about her. She might be quick, but he knew she was aggressive, reckless and he was pleased she was at the other end of the field with Sauber. He had seen enough to know he didn’t want to line up on the grid next to her.

The morning session would be kicking off for testing soon and Sebastian had wandered to the far end of the pitlane as engines fired up and shut down in preparation for the first day’s on track running. It’s on his walk back that he finds his eyes falling on a blonde wearing a Sauber jacket, looking cold.

Her hair is pulled back neatly, eyes are bright, and he watches as her head leans towards a woman on her right dressed in plain clothes before a smile brightens her face and he watches her light up and he feels his heart thud in his chest at the sight, his mouth goes dry before he had even become aware that she wasn’t a press officer for Sauber, and that her jacket she was trying to curl her fingers into covered a pair of racing overalls.

_Laura_ Aston. He blinks trying to clear the daze that had settled on him, not even realising he had practically stopped. That was Laura Aston? Her? That wasn’t the image he had in his mind, she hardly looked aggressive, she was smaller than he imagined and he chews his lip because there’s something about her that has him want to walk right up and introduce himself, touch her… have her. He blinks startled at the thought before he remembers where he is, and how this morning his heart wasn’t skipping beats but ached… He wasn’t interested.

Mark was first in the car, taking the morning session. He would get a chance in the afternoon. Instead, he could review the data, see the times the other teams were setting. Though there was very little activity in the beginning, installation laps, a handful of laps as most systems were tested and fired up.

He was looking forward to the long runs and more than happy when Rocky wants him to put laps in finally. It would clear his head, let him be lost in vibrations and speed. He sticks to the program, enjoying each lap, inching the car as much as he could without risking anything, accidents would just result in a shortage of precious parts. He’s nearly done with his run, three laps left as Rocky asks him to make setting changes on his steering wheel before telling him a Sauber was approaching from behind.

He barely has time to react before his mirrors is full of the other car. He has to jerk to the left, half on the grass as his car thumps across the kerb sharply as the Sauber dives around the outside, practically shoving him off track. “Come on!” he shouts on the radio to his engineer. “It’s testing! We’re not fucking racing!”

“Any damage to the car?” Rocky asks as Sebastian puts the car fully back on the tarmac. He doesn’t answer immediately, instead shifting back up to speed. All seemed fine. Still Rocky calls him into pit on the next lap.

When he’s in the garage he’s more than annoyed and he angrily removes his helmet because rookie drivers were a hazard. Mark is watching him amused and he has no interest in speaking with his teammate.

“Can’t handle the sheilas mate?” Mark laughs at him.

“Or maybe women don’t belong behind the wheel?” he snaps back at him. 

“Wouldn’t recommend you spread that through the press,” Mark warns but his amusement remains, twinkling back at him. Sebastian says nothing, deciding to ignore him was for the best.

It’s much later in the day that he sees her again returning from a restroom break. This time there’s press around her, photographers and he’s in two minds to go over and give her some _friendly_ advice. Instead, she meets his gaze, eyes cold as ice, a scowl on her face as she darts passed him without a single word. She was so far from the girl he had seen this morning that he bristles as she passes him. 

So this was Laura _Aston_.

He huffs to himself, frowning as determination set in. He was going to keep far away from her. 

He definitely wasn’t interested.

*


	5. A new year brings new beginnings (Year 4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to all my wonderful readers! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and holidays.  
> I wanted to thank you for your ongoing support by writing something that I know will have most people flailing. I hope you all enjoy this gift and I look forward to sharing more with you all soon.
> 
> Word of warning!!! This isn't that far in the future and there are some spoilers for year 3 should you wish to avoid those. (And yes I have been working on year 3 and an making some head roads into it. Looking to returning to post regularly in the New Year).

**Year 4 - January 2nd.**

 

The day almost starts like any other, with Sebastian gently shaking Laura awake which has her smiles at him blurry eyed, reaching for him to pull him close. She assuming he wanted sex as he did most mornings before they got up and trained, but to her surprise she gets given a quick kiss and he grasps her hands and tugs her to sitting position.

“Come on,” he murmurs encouragingly, “Quick shower and get up.”

“Seb…” she frowns sleepily, her head still not the greatest from New Years, “I’m tired and maybe still a little sick -” 

“You’ll feel better after a shower,” he promises, now pulling the blankets from her and she’s immediately shivering. 

All her questions and protests are ignored as he helps her get up, showered and dressed. Seb looked excited, eyes shining brightly and she’s positive he’s hiding something from her, but she’s not quite enough with it yet to have a go at him and instead silently gets dressed as Seb tells her to meet him outside when she’s finished.

She’s craving coffee, some sort of pep, but after putting on the dress Seb asked her to wear, a long sleeved white dress that was predictably above the knee and required her to battle with tights in her post hungover state, she doesn’t have time for coffee. Seb is saying they’re going to be late and was starting to look nervous as he bundles her into his Ferrari.

“Do I get to know where we’re going now?” she asks feeling grumpier with each passing moment.

“Yep. To do the one thing that I wanted to do in February.”

Her forehead furrows not feeling like that was any clearer. “Testing the winning Red Bull?” She asks thinking back to testing last year.

“Such a gracious winner my soon to be wife is,” he grins at her, and the words make her stomach flip excitedly wondering if they were going to pick a date when he floors the car on open roads. The rush from speed is the adrenaline hit she needs, perking up as she stares at the dark morning around them, watching as light breaks through the horizon.

After a moment she rolls her head to look at him, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “You want to set a date?” He glances across her and the smile that breaks on his face has her heart skip a beat, if she could make him that happy everyday…

“Where do you want to go on a honeymoon?” he asks instead.

“Somewhere hot,” she answers immediately and that has him pout.

“We could go skiing… stay in a cosy cabin in the middle of nowhere…” His hand covers her knee, sliding higher, “Keep warm…”

“Yeah, we’re going somewhere hot,” Laura cuts him off. “If I have to freeze in fucking Switzerland for the rest of my life, we’re going somewhere hot.”

Sebastian sighs, slowing the car to take a corner. “Fine. We’ll go somewhere hot enough so you can wear very little.” He winks at her.

That has Laura beam, “See, there’s always a bright side.” 

The car glides to a stop not long after that, Seb pulling up at the lake not far from his place and he undoes his belt, twisting in his seat. “So you want a clue?”

“You want to watch a sunrise?” she asks glancing at the lake watching as the sun rises over it. It did look beautiful. “We could have had someone record this for us to watch at a better hour -”

He kisses her, lips pressing to hers, lingering before he pulls away, her eyes fluttering open even though she hadn’t realised she had closed them. “If you weren’t so hung over yesterday… I would have done this then,” he whispers, “Because I don’t want to wait another day…” He kisses her again and her heart is now racing because she’s not sure but… “Press play.”

“Seb?” Laura watches as Sebastian presses his phone into her hand before he then gets out of the car leaving her alone. She tells herself it’s not what she thinks, but  _ she knows _ . Even before she played the song on his phone.

_ Can you take this babe to be your only? _

_ And this babe to be your only? _

_ Let's get married _

 

The song title flickers across the screen as she drags in quicker and quicker breaths.  _ Lets Get Married _ \-  _ Bleachers _ . He wasn’t proposing, they’d done that… her hands shake as she stares out the windscreen at Sebastian’s retreating form. He wants to get married. Now.  _ Here _ . The catchy song plays but she doesn’t wait for it to end before she gets out of the car, more nervous than she has ever been but she feels alive, excitement racing through her.

At least she doesn’t feel the cold, isn’t aware of the breeze biting at her cheeks, making them flush as she walks towards him, watching him nervously play with his hair before he beams at her, lighting back up, holding out his hand to her. There’s no aisle as such, and she only sees him, and the nerves in her stomach, explode into butterflies as she walks towards him, her fingers tangling with his the moment he was in reach, squeezing his hands tightly because she’s not sure this is real, that this is happening. Maybe it’s a dream and she’s still asleep.

“Seb,” she whispers, terrified she might wake up and this isn’t happening, because even if it was a dumb hour she wants to stay here. Her heart thuds so hard in her chest, she assumes he can hear it as she stands next to him. “How?” They seem to be short a few people for it to be a wedding -

A voice clears next to her and she jumps, eyes widening at Rocky standing there. “Uh…” she twists looking for more people confused and Seb just grins proudly, clearly having worked everything out.

“Seb asked if I wanted to help him with something a few weeks back,” Rocky explained. Her former engineer was beaming wider than either of them, clearly excited to be here. “I got ordained,” he explained.

Seb shrugs sheepishly at her. “He kind of the first that knew about us and I thought…”

Maybe she’s still not quite letting this sink in because she just rushes out with her next thought, “Oh god, don’t tell Lillian,” she pleads with Rocky. 

Rocky laughs and seals his lips. “As always, your secret is safe with me.”

Sebastian turns to face her, grabbing her other hand. “You want to do this?” His eyes searching hers, looking for doubt and she can suddenly see his own nerves. She doubts that about marrying her, more her turning him down.

She nods. “Yes,” she swallows. “More than anything.”

 

It doesn’t take much to officially marry someone, and Rocky’s words sort of become background noise as she stares at Sebastian, so sure she could never love another human being as much as she loves him. And he stares at her like she was the only person… and she felt  _ loved _ . 

“Laura, from the moment I saw you, you have captivated me. You have made me feel more for one person than I could have ever imagined. And I have  _ never _ loved anyone as fiercely as I love you. There’s been no one that has made me angry as you, or annoyed as you, or feel as loved by you.”

“Sorry,” she chokes out, determined to not cry like some sap as Seb shakes his head at her.

“I hope you annoy me for the rest of our lives, I hope you continue to challenge me, and I promise to love you, stand by you, every day for the rest of our lives. Because I can’t imagine my life without you Laura Aston.”

All Laura wants to do is throw her arms around him, hold him tightly, kiss him because she had no intentions to go anywhere. And she’s on the spot then, unprepared with a speech she’s sure Seb had been working on since he told her he loved her because that’s just the kind of romantic he is. “I um…” She shifts her weight nervously, “A little over a year ago, I had this realisation that I was in love with you. In Japan, fyi.” 

Seb grins at that. “My mad dating skills.”

“Hardly, that was the worst date ever,” she assures him before she shushes him. “And it turns out that you don’t get to pick who you love, well I certainly didn’t. But here I am,” she gives him a tiny shrug. “Stuck madly in love with you. And…” She swallows. “I wouldn’t change any of it, not my feelings, not anything. I love you, more than anything, and more than anyone. I can’t imagine my life without you and I promise to annoy you and love you everyday of my life.”

Sebastian tugs her forward then, crushing her into his arms, eyes shimmering with what she’s sure is tears, trust him to cry. She wants to kiss him now but when Seb dips down Rocky interrupts.

“Wait! We’re not at that part. We have to do the the ‘I dos’” he tells them hurriedly.

And with the sun rising behind them, bringing the promise of a new day, they promise to love each other to death do them part, exchanging ‘I do’ and sliding on simple silver bands, before Rocky finally says ‘I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Rocky hadn’t even finished the final part when Sebastian’s lips press to hers, kissing her deeply, making her head swim giddily as they wrap around each other tightly. 

It’s Rocky clearing his throat that has them break apart. “So I was promised a hot breakfast after this?”

Sebastian smiles at her, rubbing his nose against hers, eyes shining at her with love. “I did promise him breakfast,” he murmurs. She nods but doesn’t let him go, her husband. Those words make her shiver.

Rocky is walking away from them. “Can I drive the Ferrari?” he asks heading towards Seb’s car.

Seb’s head snaps in his direction. “No!”

“I’m driving!” Laura calls after him. “It’s my wedding gift.”

“I never agreed to that,” Seb huffs, his fingers tightening on hers as they walk after Rocky. 

Laura ignores him. “It’s not in your contract Rocky.”

“It’s not in yours either Princess,” Rocky reminds her sharply and she watches him move to slap ‘just married’ on the back of the window that was in the back of Seb’s car. “Now if only the press were aware of this…” he chuckles gleefully at knowing the secret and waves them next to the car to take a photo of them.

Sebastian stiffens at the comment, and Laura forces a smile. The world was still unaware of their relationship and she was going to fight to keep it like that as long as possible. “Again, more afraid of Lillian.”

Sebastian kisses the side of her head. “We’ll do it again, for everyone else. No one has to know,” he murmurs. “Just you and me.”

She beams up at him, and he strokes her cheek, returning the smile.

“And me,” Rocky says snapping another picture as Laura gives him the finger mid another slow kiss from her new husband.

 

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random fact about this series. I have the original year 4 mostly written from many years ago, and no where did I ever write them a wedding, it's only referenced. And the way it's written I didn't want to change that, so to be able to write them something feels really nice since it doesn't exist in the 'official' years.

**Author's Note:**

> Do you have a request? Let me know!  
> Comments and kudos are forever welcome :)


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